JAKARTA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of personnel from search and rescue office and military have been searching for a missing military helicopter with 12 people onboard in Oksibil, Indonesia's eastern Papua province, a senior rescuer said on Saturday.

The helicopter lost contact shortly after taking off during its flight from Oksibil to Jayapura on Friday, spokesman of search and rescue office in Jayapura Yudi Yanto said.

Information from a community in the village closest to the helicopter passage said that they saw a helicopter flying at low altitude, the spokesman told Xinhua over phone, saying that the village is in Oksibil.

The search and rescue mission has been focused on the village and the surrounding areas and soldiers have been dispatched via land transportation to there, the spokesman said.

One plane and one helicopter have been used for the search.